Kamal Nath to be new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, no Deputy CM in state | As it happened

Veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath will be the next chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, announced the grand old party on Thursday night after its legislature party meet in Bhopal, the state capital. With numbers in place to form governments in all the three states, the elected Congress MLAs on Wednesday authorised the party's national president Rahul Gandhi to decide the chief ministers as senior leaders including top contenders held hectic parleys through the day and till late in night. Gandhi, on the other hand, also reached out directly to the party workers in the three states to know their top choice for the chief minister post through an internal mobile messaging app, party leaders said.

HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS:

10:55 pm: Kamal Nath to be the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. There will not be a Deputy Chief Minister in MP (ANI)

WATCH VIDEO: Kamal Nath to be Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, there will not be Deputy CM

10:52 pm: Kamal Nath arrives at Congress party office in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
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10:21 pm: Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Bhupesh Baghel and Charan Das Mahant are also going to Delhi tomorrow

10:16 pm: Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia arrive in Bhopal

10:10 pm: Congress leader TS Singh Deo will arrive in Delhi tomorrow morning

9:45 pm: Rahul Gandhi likely to hold a meeting at 10:30 pm tonight  to discuss political scenario in Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot may attend this meeting

9:15 pm: In Bhopal, Congress' legislature party meet at 10:30 pm, name of the CM will be announced at 11 pm

9:00 pm: Name of Chhattisgarh CM will be announced tomorrow, said Mallikarjun Kharge after meeting with Rahul Gandhi

8:50 pm: Madhya Pradesh: Visuals from outside Congress party office in Bhopal
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8:22 pm: MP | Rahul Gandhi finalises Kamal Nath's name, oath taking ceremony likely on December 17 

8:15 pm: Chhattisgarh Congress state in-charge P.L. Punia reaches Rahul Gandhi's residence ​

8:10 pm: It is not a race, it is not about kursi, we are here to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh. I am leaving for Bhopal and you will get to know the decision today: Jyotiraditya Scindia

8:05 pm: I am leaving for Bhopal, MLAs meeting will be held and we will announce the CM name after that: Kamal Nath

7:50 pm: Congress president Rahul Gandhi to announce names of CMs shortly

7:45 pm: People's and MLAs' mandates are with Kamal Nath. He must be the CM: Congress MLA Sanjay Yadav

7:41 pm: Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi leave from Rahul's house 

06:57 pm: I appeal to workers to maintain calm, they have worked very hard, whatever decisions will be taken will be binding on all. Rahul ji is talking to and consulting all leaders: Ashok Gehlot

06:51 pm: The decision will be taken soon, there is nothing to worry. Just wait, the decision has to be taken on CMs of three states so naturally, it takes time. Party president will take a call: Ashok Gehlot

06:51 pm: Ashok Gehlot​ is not going to Jaipur, returns from Delhi airport  

06:50 pm: I request the media to not run news based on rumours and only rely on confirmed news. We will welcome whatever the party leadership decides: Sachin Pilot of Congress 

06:49 pm: Priyanka Gandhi comes out of Rahul Gandhi's residence

06:40 pm: Kamal Nath arrives at Rahul Gandhi's residence

06:25 pm: Supporters of Sachin Pilot reprtedly indulge in violence in Dausa, Rajasthan

6:14 pm: Ashok Gehlot likely to reach Jaipur by 8 pm. However, Sachin Pilot won't accompany him. 

6:09 pm: It will get more and more difficult the longer this takes: Omar Abdullah

6:06 pm: I appeal to party workers to maintain peace and decorum. I have full faith in the leadership, we will welcome whatever Rahul Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhi ji decide. It is our responsibility to uphold the honour of the party, we are dedicated to the party: Sachin Pilot 

6:00 pm: In Bhopal, a meeting of elected Congress party MLAs to take place at 8:30 pm 

5:59 pm: Security increased outside the Congress party headquarters in Delhi

5:55 pm: There is no scuffle but excitement among the supports of CM probables: Shobha Oza of Congress 

5:48 pm: Supporters of Sachin Pilot block road in Karauli​, Rajasthan
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WATCH VIDEO: Rajasthan: Supporters of Sachin Pilot block road in Karauli​ 

5:12 pm: Jyotiraditya Scindia also offered Dy CM's post: Sources

5:09 pm: Supporters of probable CM candidates clash in Bhopal, Jaipur and Raipur
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WATCH VIDEO: Supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath gather outside Congress office in Bhopal

5:00 pm: A poster congratulating Kamal Nath for being named CM is seen outside Congress office in Bhopal, MP
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4:55 pm: Sachin Pilot's name proposed for the post of Dy CM: Sources

4:50 pm: Posters and banners seen outside Congress party office in Bhopal, MP
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4:40 pm: Supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia gather outside Congress party office in Bhopal, MP

4:15 pm: Sonia Gandhi arrives at the residence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi

[ALSO READ] Ashok Gehlot wins Rajasthan CM race against Sachin Pilot, say sources; official announcement soon

[ALSO READ] Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath likely to be new CM, Congress MLAs authorise Rahul Gandhi to take final call

Among other two states that also went to polls, K Chandrashekar Rao would be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday with his party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, storming back to power for the second consecutive term and with a bigger mandate. 

In Mizoram, where Mizo National Front has trounced Congress to wrest power of the hill state, the party president Zoramthanga would be sworn in as chief minister on Saturday.

In all the three states where Congress has emerged victorious signalling a newfound energy in the party ranks to stop the BJP juggernaut before the 2019 general elections, the newly-elected MLAs met in the presence of party's central observers, while party leaders also met governors in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to stake government formation claims.

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(With inputs from agencies)